Charles County sheriff’s officers were called to the 10800 block of Hopewell Place in La Plata Thursday night after someone reported an accidental shooting involving a child.

When officers arrived at 5:50 p.m., they spoke with the child’s grandmother who said she was outside watching her 4-year-old grandson play. He got into a car which was parked in the driveway and suddenly she heard a gunshot, police reported. The child ran to her and she noticed he had an injury to his head.

Emergency personnel arrived and the child was flown to a hospital where it was learned he had a graze wound; his injury is not life-threatening, police said.

Detectives assigned to the sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division recovered the gun inside the car. A computer check revealed the gun — a 9mm semiautomatic handgun — is registered to a member of the child’s family.

Police reported that it is not clear why the gun was in the car, and the investigation is continuing. The owner of the gun is not a law enforcement officer.